Winner and loser of the week in Florida politics

Winner of the week: Al Hoffman. A lot of Republicans wanted to oust Jim Greer as state GOP Chairman, but it took someone with the stature and credibility of Hoffman to create the momentum to make it happen. Once the former Republican National Committee finance chairman, ambassador to Portugal, and southwest Florida developer publicly came out against Greer, a host of other critics felt comfortable doing the same. Then the screws around Greer turned tighter and tighter and tighter.

Winner of the week 2: Jim Greer. It was a painful week for the soon-to-be former Florida GOP chairman, and his initial claims about critics being bent on destroying the party sounded Nixonian. But Greer could have extended the fight a lot longer to the detriment of his party. He held his head high and showed class Saturday addressing the executive committee: “It has been the greatest privilege and honor of my life to serve as your chairman,’’ he told party leaders. “But while I love this job I love this party even more.”

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For Florida political news today, the Buzz is your can't-miss-it source. Tampa Bay Times writers offer the latest in Florida politics, the Florida Legislature and the Rick Scott administration. Keep in mind: This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the Tampa Bay Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.